Once you carry your own water, you will learn to value every drop. – Unknown
Today’s quick hits deal with these important subjects:
- The Rainbow Flag
- U.S. Citizens
- Migrant Children
The Rainbow Flag:
This is Montana and there are a lot of bigots running around, so I knew when I read about the Rainbow flag flying over the Capitol, the shit would hit the fan.
The Great Falls Tribune reported that Marissa Perry, communications director for Montana Governor Steve Bullock, said the governor requested the Rainbow flag to fly over the state capitol from Friday to Sunday evenings “on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community and in honor of Big Sky Pride.”
The Big Sky Pride Parade was being held in the Capitol city.
The Montana State flag was replaced by the Rainbow flag. They’ve done the same thing for St. Patrick’s Day by flying the Irish flag.
Some Republicans complained saying the flag represented a “political movement.” The Speaker of the Montana House and the Montana State Senate President issued a statement about the “political movement” on state letterhead that seemed, shall we say, political.
I’m not sure the Republicans would have protested as much if the flag flown was for pro-life or a confederate flag. It all depends on what one supports.
As for me, flying the Rainbow flag over the Capitol did not bother me at all, mostly because I have an open mind and I was taught to respect people and their beliefs.
U.S. Citizens:
I urge my readers to watch this segment from KRTV in Great Falls about a citizenship ceremony in Great Falls this past week.
KRTV reports that 24 people from different backgrounds, races, religions and 16 different countries across the world had one thing in common this past Thursday. They all swore a naturalization oath and became United States citizens.
In the past, I had the opportunity to attend several of these ceremonies, and I always walked away feeling more patriotic. The ceremony filled me with pride and love for my country. It’s very cool to watch these people take the final step in becoming citizens of the United States.
Welcome!
Migrant Children:
Thank God for the Associated Press (AP)!
The AP reported that the U.S. government has removed most of the children from a remote Border Patrol station in Texas following reports that more than 300 children were detained there, caring for each other with inadequate food, water, and sanitation.
The AP had exposed the bad treatment. It may not be much better where the children were relocated.
We’re better than this, America.
##END##
The Western Word 
“It is that tolerance of others that puts us in the place of unrest we now live in”
What??? ratiocination ? raison d’ etre ?
“And whoever welcomes one such child
in my name welcomes me.
If anyone causes one of these little ones—
those who believe in me—to stumble,
it would be better for them to have a
large millstone hung around their neck
and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
Matthew 18:4-6
Doesn’t look good for we the people of the USA.
Carole – Amen to that. Thanks. JmB
MIke, would you fly a Straight Pride flag over the Capitol? If you smile, laugh or say no, then the LGBT flag is a political statement. In my mind it is and no political statement flag should fly over the Capitol. It is fine that it doesn’t bother you but it will bother some and that shows a lack of tolerance for fellow Montanans. It is that tolerance of others that puts us in the place of unrest we now live in…
Cuda – The city of Great Falls flies the Canadian flag over city hall/civic center to welcome Canadians to the city. That’s all the governor was doing in having the Rainbow flag fly over the Capitol – making the Big Sky Pride group feel welcome. I would have done the same. Thanks for your comments. -JmB
Cuda – Are straight people facing the same kind of persecution as LGBT folks? No, and as such we should let them know they are welcome in our state. I didn’t hear any complaints about the Irish flag that flew at the capitol.